Machine gun



Feb. 28, 1928.

A. M. BALDWIN MACHINE GUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

3 MMFLW BY i 6 i ATTORNEY Feb. 28, 1928.

A. M. BALDWIN MACHINE GUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR 6 ATTOR MW m/ M l/1Y5 K Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,590

A. M. BALDWIN MACHINE GUN 31. 1925 3 Sheets-$heet 3 ATroRNEYs' Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

AUGUSTUS M. BALDWIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE GUN.

Application filed December 31, 1925.

My invention relates to guns having a number of bores through which cartridges or the like may be simultaneously fired so that the fire will be dispersed over a certain area; whereby the chances of hitting the target are much greater than with a single barrel gun. The invention is particularly applicable to guns for the destruction of air craft, but it is not limited to that application.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a gun of the said type which can be expeditiously loaded and reloaded. To that end I have provided a gun having improved removable or detachable cartridge containers adapted to be filled with cartridges outside of the gun and formed to encase the cartridges and hold them in position for firing, the gun being provided with automatic means whereby the containers are automatically fed into operative position for firing and ejected after firing.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear more fully in the following detailed description and appended claims.

The accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification illust ate a gun containing one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the gun taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken on lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a rear end view of the gun.

Figures 5 to 8 are vertical transverse sections taken respectively on lines 55, 66, 77 and 88 of Fig. 3.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the firing mechanism.

Figures 10 and 11 are cross sections of the breech block taken respectively on lines 10-1O and 11-11 of Fig. 9.

Figure 12 is a rear view of one of the cartridge containers.

Figure 13 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 14 is a central longitudinal cross section of the same.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a carrier for the cartridge containers.

Figure 16 is a vertical section taken on line 16-16 of Fig. 15; and

Figures 17 to 20 inclusive are bottom plan views taken on lines 17-17 of Fig. 2 and re- Serial No. 78,517.

spectively showing the mechanism in different positions of operation.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8, the gun comprises a body 1 which is mounted for reciprocation forwardly and backwardly in a rectilinear path on a base 2. The body comprises a plurality of barrels 3 which provide a corresponding number of bores through each of which a cartridge is adapted to be fired. Any suitable number and arrangement of barrels or bores may be provided to produce the desired volume and dispersion of fire. In the drawings I have shown 9 barrels arranged in three tiers of three each. The gun body 1 as shown is formed with a longitudinal magazine 4 in which a plurality of cartridge containers 5 are adapted to be supported. The inner vertical Wall 6 of the magazine terminates short of the rear end wall 7 thereof so as to provide between these walls an opening through which the rearmost container in the magazine 4 may pass transversely of the gun to a position 1n alinement with the barrels 3.

Referring particularly to Fig. 14, the containers 5 are provided with a plurality of longitudinal cartridge chambers 8 equal in number to, and arranged and spaced the same as, the bores of the barrels 3. These chambers are adapted to receive and closely encase the bodies of cartridges 9 from the rear of the cartridges to a point forwardly of the shoulders 10 thereon. Each cartridge container, is provided with a rear wall 11 which may be detached to permit the cartridges to be inserted into the chambers 8. The wall 11' is adapted to be detachably held in position with respect to the body of the container by spring clips 12 having at their forward ends openings adapted to fit over pins 14 in the body of the container. The wall 11 is provided with central openings 15 through which the firing pins are adapted to pass to discharge the cartridges. To prevent damage to the tips of the cartridges, the container 5 is provided with a guard 16 surrounding but spaced from the said tips. When the container is in operative position with respect to the barrels 3 the tips of the cartridges are arranged in the rear ends of the bores of the said barrels and the guard 16 surrounds the barrels as shown in Fig. 14. The container as shown is provided at the forward end thereof with a packing member 17 providing a comparatively close sprin fit between the container and the barrels 3.

The loaded containers in the magazine 4 are fed rearwardly in the magazine by any suitable means such as the spring 18. For feeding the rearmost container in the magazine 4 transversely into alinement with the gun barrels 3, I provide in the form of invention shown a carrier 19 (see Figs. 2, 3, 7 to arranged to slide in transverse guides in the bottom of the gun body 1. The carrier 19 has spring pressed gripping members 20 each adapted to engage in a recess 21 in the bottom of a container to hold the same in position with respect to the carrier 19 to insure the feeding of successive contamers transversely into register with the gun barrels and then to the ejection o ening 22 in the body of the gun. The ho ders 20 are pivoted (see Fig. 16) so that as the carrier returns to its position on the side of the gun containing the magazine 4, they will slip out of the openings 21 without carrying the containers back with them. The proper transverse feeding movement of the carrier 19 is automatically effected by the movement of the body 1 upon the base 2 through spring pressed follower 24 mounted upon the base 2 and coacting with cam groove 25 in the bottom of the carrier. The longitudinal movement of the body 1 upon the base 2 is greater than the width of the carrier 19; and when the follower 24 passes out of the groove 25, 26 yieldingly holds the carrier 19 back'in its position on the side of the gun containing the magazine 4. The transverse movement of the carrier may be limited in any suitable way as by fixed stops 27 and stops 28 carried by the carrier. The follower 24 is as shown provided with a rounded upper end which is yieldable up and down against the action of spring 24 so that it may pass out of the cam groove 25 when the said groove is carried forwardly of the said follower, this spring 24 belng however sufficiently strong to effect movement of the carrier 19 upon movement of the gun body when the follower 24 is engaged with groove 25.

When the loaded container 5 has been moved by the carrier 19 into alinement with the gun barrels 3 it must next be moved forwardly into operative relation to the gun barrels, as shown for example in Figs. 1 and 14. To automatically effect this forward movement of the container, I provide the breech block 29 with upper and lower forwardly extending fingers 30 and 31 respectivel (see Figs. 1 and 3) which are arrange to be gripped in the transverse grooves 32 in the containers as the latter are moved transversely of the gun into alinement with the barrels 3. Through these fingers forward and rearward movement of the breech block effects corresponding movement of the container engaged by the fingers.

To effect the forward and rearwardmovement of the breech block I provide suitable means such as the gear 33 carried by the movable body member 1 and engaging rack 34 in the bottom of the breech block. The gear 33 is ada ted also to engage 'rack 35 carried by the ase 2 when the body 1 is in a rear position with respect to the base 2. In that position movement of the body with respect to the base causes the rack 35 to rotate gear 33 which through the rack 34 effects movement of the breech block 29 with respect to the body 1 in the same direction as the body is traveling with respect to the base 2.

To serve as a rest for the breech block 29 to firmly hold the latter in its forward position during firing, I provide a pair of pillow blocks 36 which, as shown in Figs. 17 to 20, are slidable transversely of the body 1 so as to be positioned either in back of the breech block or on opposite sides thereof so as to permit movement of the breech block longitudinally of the gun. To automatically move the pillow blocks during the movement of the body 1 upon the base 2, I provide suitable means such as followers 37 (see Fig. 3) carried by the base 2 and fitting in cam grooves 38 in the respective pi low blocks.

The body 1 is normally held in its forward position upon the base 2 by a spring 40 between the said body and base. To manually move the body rearwardly upon the base against the action of spring 40, I have shown screw 41 carried by the base 2 and arranged longitudinally thereof. This screw is adapted to be rotated by suitable means such as the crank 42. A half nut 43 is hinged to the body 1 as at 44 so that it may be positioned in operative engagement with the screw 41 or thrown out of engagement with the screw. By engaging the nut 43 with the screw 41 and rotating the crank 42, the body 1 may be moved rearwardly upon the base 2 against the action of sprlng 40. When the nut 43 is thereupon released the spring 40 will automatically move the gun body forwardly upon the base} The succeeding rearward movement of the said body upon the base may be thereupon eflected by the recoil of the gun upon discharge of the cartridges.

The firing mechanism as shown comprises a firing pin 45 for each cartridge. The firing pins are carried by the breech block 29, being normally yieldingly held in retracted position by springs 46. The hammer head 47 is arranged in the breech block to strike the pins 45 to fire the gun. A spring 48 tends yieldingly to move the hammer head to effect firing. The hammer head is held in cocked position against the action of spring 48 by sears 49 pivoted at 50 and adapted when in operative position to engage shoulder 51 upon the hammer head. Springs 52 tend to hold the sears in operative relation to .the hammer head. To disengage the sears from the shoulder 51 and thereby permit the spring 48 to move the hammer head against the firing pins to effect firi of the gun, I have provided the pillow bloc s with pins 53 which engage projections 54 on the sears 49 to move the latter out of engagement with the shoulder 51 as the pillar blocks are moved inwardly. For cooking the gun, a cocking lever 55 is hinger to the breech block as shown in Fig. 9. The base 2 is provided with a cam surface 56 which is adapted to engage the lower arm of the cocking lever and to move the latter about its axis upon the rearward movement of the breech block with respect to the base 2, thereby causing the upper arm of the cocking lever to force the hammer head 47 back to cocked position. A spring 57 tends to hold the lower arm of the cocking lever yieldingly in engagement with the base 2.

To prevent or stop the firing of the gun, I provide a detent 58 carried by the body 1 and extending downwardly in the breech block. When this detent is in its lower position it acts as a stop to prevent the forward movement of the hammer head which would operate the firing pins. The detent 58 may be normally held in retracted or inoperative osition by a latch 59 (see Figs. 4 to 7 inc. This detent as shown is provided with a head 60 under which the latch 59 is adapted to be engaged to hold the detent in retracted position. By depressing the handle 61 on the latch the latter may be moved out of position, whereby the detent will be moved downwardly by the action of spring 62 to hold the hammer head in retracted position and prevent firing.

In operation, the gun body is normally in its forward position upon the base 2 as shown in Fig. 17. In that position the carrier 19 is arranged in operative position under the rearmost container 5 in the magazine 4, the breech block 29 is in its forward position and the pillow blocks 36 are positioned to the rear of the breech block. The nut 43 is now placed in operative relation to the screw 41 and crank 42 is rotated so as to move the body 1 rearwardly upon the base 2. During such rearward movement the pillow blocks 36 are first moved outwardly to a position shown in Fig. 18. Upon further rearward movement of the body 1 the breech block 29 is moved rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 19. Further rearward movement of the body of the gun effects the movement of the carrier 19 transversely to the position shown in Fig. 20 whereby one of the loaded containers from the magazine 4 is positioned in alinement with the barrels 3. During this rear- WVBId movement the cooking lever 55 has been moved by the cam 56 to cock the hammer head 57. To complete the loading of the gun and effect the firing thereof, the nut 43 is released from the screw 41 whereupon the spring 40 moves the body of the gun forwardly. During this forward movement the breechblock 29 is automatically moved forwardly, forcing the loaded container forwardly into operative relation to the gun barrels 3. Further forward movement of the gun body causes the pillow blocks 36 to move inwardly behind the breech block. As the pillow blocks approach their innermost positions, the pins 53 thereon lift the sears 54 out of engagement with the shoulder 51 whereupon the spring 48 causes the hammer 47 to strike the firing pins 45 to effeet simultaneous discharge of" all of the cartridges in the container which is in operative relation to the gun barrels. The discharge of these cartridges produces a recoil which causes the body of the gun to travel automatically rearwardly upon the base, whereupon the container from which the cartridges were fired is drawn rearwardly by the breech block until it comes to a position adjacent the rearmost cartridge container in the magazine 4. As the gun bodymoves further to the rear upon the base 2, the carrier 19 moves the last-named container transversely of the gun body into alinement with the gun barrels and moves the container in which the cartridges have just been fired to a position above the ejection aperture 22. When the carrier 19 returns to its original position under the magazine 4, the container in which the eartridges were discharged will fall through the ejection aperture 22 and a registering aperture in the base of the machine. The gun will now continue to operate automatically, feeding the successive loaded containers 5 in the magazine 4 to the rear of the gun body and then transversely and forwardly into operative relation to the barrels 3, firing the cartridges therein and finally ejecting the container inwhieh the cartridges were fired. This operation will continue until there are no more loaded containers in the gun or until detent 58 is permitted to descend to prevent further firing of the gun.

It is to be understood that myinvention is not limited to the details described and shown but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a container formed to enease a plurality of cartridges, said container being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the container into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in the container in register with the respeclOi tive bores and for holding the container in that position for firing.

2. A un comprising a barrel member having a p urality of longitudinal bores, a contamer formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said container being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the container into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in the container in register with the respective bores, for holding the container in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the container.

3. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in the containers in register with the respective bores, for holding the container in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

4. A gun comprising a barrel member hav in a plurality of longitudinal bores ..a plura ity of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling. a magazine extending longitudinally of the barrel member for holding a plurality of filled containers, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively from said magazine into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in the containers in register with the respective bores, for holdin the containers in that osition for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

5. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with cartridges in the containers in register with the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

6. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a-plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with the bodies of cartridges encased in the container and their tips projecting into the respective bores, for holding the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

. 8. A un comprising a barrel member having a p urality of longitudinal bores, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a pluralityv of cartridges and provided with a guard for the tips of the cartridges spaced therefrom, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with the bodies of cartridges encased in the container and their tips projecting into the respective bores, for holding the containers-in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

9. A cartridge container adapted to be inserted into and completely removed from a gun, said container having openin s ar ranged to support and encase the b0 ies of a plurality of cartridges for simultaneous discharge, and a guard for the tips of the cartridges arranged in spaced relation thereto.

10. A cartridge container adapted to be inserted into and completely removed from a gun said container having openings arranged to support and encase the bodies of a plurality of cartridges for simultaneous discharge, and a guard for the tips of the cartridges arranged in spaced relation thereto, said container having a detachable back having openings therein for firing pins.

11. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, firing means, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges and provided with a guard for the tips of the cartridges spaced therefrom and with a detachable back having openings for the firing means, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with the bodies of cartridges encased in a container and their tips projecting into the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

12. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said contamers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in a container in register with the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers, said automatlc means including a breech block movable to shift a container towards and away from the barrel member.

13. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a base upon which said member is movable, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling and automatic means operable by the movement of said barrel member upon said base for feeding the containers successively into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in a container in register with the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers.

14. A gun comprising a barrel member having a. plurality of longitudinal bores, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, and automatic means for feeding the containers successively into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in a container in register wit-h the respective bores, for holding the containers in that posit-ion for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers, said automatic means including a breech block movable to shift a container towards and away from the barrel member and pillow blocks movable to the rear of said breech block to serve as a resttherefor during firing.

15. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, a base upon which said member is movable, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges, said containers being detached from the gun for filling,

and automatic means operable by the move ment of said barrel member-upon said base for feeding the containers successively into operative relation to the barrel member with cartridges in a container in register with the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers, said automatic means including a breech block movable to shift a container towards and away from the barrel member, and pillow blocks movable to the rear of said breech block to serve as a rest therefor during firing.

16. A gun comprising a barrel member having a plurality of longitudinal bores, firing means, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges and provided with a guard for the tips of the cartridges spaced therefrom and with a detachable back having openings for the firing means, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, automatic means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with the bodies of cartridges encased in a container and their tips projecting into the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing and for there after ejecting the containers, automatic means for operating said firing means, and means for rendering the same inoperative.

17. A gun comprising a barrel member having av plurality of longitudinal bores, firing means, a plurality of containers each formed to encase a plurality of cartridges and provided with a guard for the tips of the cartridges spaced therefrom and with a detachable back having openings for the firing means, said containers being detached from the gun for filling, automatic means for feeding the containers successively transversely and then forwardly of the barrel member into operative relation thereto with the bodies of cart-ridges encased in a container and their tips projecting into the respective bores, for holding the containers in that position for firing, and for thereafter ejecting the containers, and automatic means for cooking and releasing said firing means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUSTUS M. BALDWIN. 

